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Perhaps short for landloafer, possibly a partial translation of German Landläufer (compare dialectal German loofen "to run"); or connected to Middle Englishlo(o)ve, lo(o)ffinge "a remnant, the rest, that which remains or lingers" from Old Englishlāf (“remainder, residue, what is left”). Akin to Scots lave "the rest, remainder", Old English lǣfan "to leave behind". More at leave.